Dean Allen's Daily Devotional

-April 16, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Wednesday,

“Then all the tax collectors and sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, ‘This Man receives sinners and eats with them.’”

(Luke 15:1-2).

Jesus loves sinners though He hates their sin. While on earth, our Savior came to dwell among us and to save us from our sin. Paul declared to Timothy in 1 Timothy 1:15, “This a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.”

Paul was formerly a self-righteous Pharisee who came as a lost sinner to Christ and was gloriously saved. He no longer looked down his nose at others as being sinners, but recognized his sinfulness and inability to save himself apart from Christ. He felt that he was the last, the least, and the lowest in the eyes of a holy God.

The Pharisees complained that Jesus ate and drank with tax collectors and sinners. The religious leaders of Jesus’ day condemned tax collectors and sinners as the worst of the worst, while exalting themselves in the sight of men.

Anyone who comes to Christ must come as a lost sinner, deserving hell and damnation. One must see their need of Jesus. We are all sinners, unrighteous, unholy, and defiled in His sight. Jesus said in Matthew 9:13, “But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

Praise God that tax collectors and sinners flocked to Jesus, the lover of their souls. They knew their lost and sinful condition and came to the only One who could save them. Jesus saved and called two prominent tax collectors like Matthew and Zacchaeus; two immoral women like the woman at the well and woman caught in adultery; and everyone in between.

Let us take a moment to thank the Lord for our salvation. We didn’t deserve it nor will we ever deserve it. We are sinners saved by grace through faith in Christ. The hymn writer Charlotte Elliot wrote, “Just as I am, without one plea, but that Thy blood was shed for me, and that Thou biddst me come to Thee—O Lamb of God I come, I come!”

Have a blessed day, never forgetting what Jesus did for us. Stay safe and healthy.

Jesus only saves sinners; praise God that includes everyone, even me.

Dean

-April 15, 2025-

“Good morning beloved, happy Tuesday,

“And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, ‘Let no fruit grow on you ever again.’ Immediately the fig tree withered away.”

(Matthew 21:19).

This week is called “Holy Week.” It began with Palm Sunday and continued with Holy Monday, the day Jesus cursed the fig tree, cleansed the temple, and reasoned with those who questioned His authority. Today, Tuesday, is called Holy Tuesday or Great and Holy Tuesday.

It was on this day Jesus taught the disciples lessons on the fig tree. The fig tree symbolizes Israel—He found no fruit from Israel. One day, He will restore Israel and reign over them in the Millennium and forever.

We can learn so many lessons from the barren fig tree. God wants us to be fruitful and bear more fruit, and much fruit. He desires that we as believers grow in Him and produce fruit for the Kingdom of God.

God can use us to bring souls to Christ, which is bearing spiritual fruit. In the Parable of the Soils, Jesus spoke of three types of soil where the seed fell: by the wayside, on rocky ground, among thorns, and on the good ground, which is the only one that results in salvation. The good ground produces fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixtyfold, and some one hundredfold.

May the Lord not find us barren but fruitful both today and every day until His coming. Have a blessed and fruitful day. Stay safe and healthy.

Fruitful Christians are useful Christians; fruitful and useful Christians are happy Christians.

Dean

-April 14, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Monday,

“Then Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armor, ‘Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; it may be that the Lord will work for us. For nothing restrains the Lord from saving by many or by few.”

(1 Samuel 14:6).

How could two men take on a garrison of at least twenty enemy soldiers all by themselves? The answer is clearly it was the Lord who was with them giving them the victory.

In nearly every occasion in Scripture, God gave the victory to His people were out manned and outgunned. In today’s story Jonathan, the son of King Saul, who was David’s best friend, had the faith to fight against the powerful Philistines. God is not restrained to save by many or by few. In fact, He needs nothing to do everything.

The Lord wants to teach us two vital lessons: don’t rely on yourself at all and rely fully on Him for all. The more a circumstance is impossible to us, the more glory goes to the Lord when He works for us. The Lord often uses our little resources to do great things.

Jonathan and his armor bearer climbed up on their hands and knees and into the enemy’s camp and killed about twenty men in a space of about one acre of land. It was a great victory! It was also accompanied by an earthquake and great trembling in the camp of the Philistines.

Isaiah 59:2 says, “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear.” God can do all things for us. His hand reaches down to us where we are and His ear bends low to hear our cries.

Kittie Louise Suffield wrote the beautiful hymn, “Little Is Much, When God Is in It.” She wrote in the second verse, “Does the place you’re called to labor seem so small and little known? It is great if God is in it, and He’ll not forget His own.” The chorus says, “Little is much when God is in it, labor not for wealth or fame; There’s a crown and you can win it, if you go in Jesus’ name.”’

If God is leading, we must step out in faith, and trusting Him for the victory. God is not restrained to deliver us by many or by few. Have a blessed day in His strength and wisdom. Stay safe and healthy.

Without Christ I can do nothing; with Christ I can do all things through His strength.

Dean

-April 13, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Lord’s Day, happy Palm Sunday,

“Then as He was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen.”

(Luke 19:37).

Today is Palm Sunday, one week before Easter. Jesus came riding into Jerusalem on a donkey in fulfillment of the prophesy found in Zechariah 14:9, which says, “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt the foal of a donkey.”

There was great excitement among the thousands of people in Jerusalem for Passover. There were shouts of rejoicing, people throwing palm branches and clothing on the ground as Jesus triumphantly entered Jerusalem. I recently saw the movie, “The Chosen: the Last Supper Part I” It was a real blessing and I was encouraged seeing all the events, especially the Triumphal Entry.

As we gather to worship the Lord today, let us have the same joy and excitement that those who witnessed it first hand experienced. May we praise the Lord for His humble entry and how He willingly went to the cross, suffered, bled, and died, then rose from the dead.

Have a blessed Lord’s Day and Palm Sunday. Stay safe and healthy.

Jesus is worthy of our praise, all of our days.

Dean

-April 12, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Saturday,

“For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the Head of all principality and power.”

(Colossians 2:9-10).

What Jesus accomplished at the cross was stupendous. He died for us, bearing our sins to cleanse us from sin by His shed blood. We are complete in Him. The word complete has a definite finality about it. We were made righteous in God’s sight and are now perfect in Christ. God sees us through Christ in all His perfection.

There is a song I remember from the past that puts it to music. “It’s not by works of righteousness, but by His grace alone; it’s not by works of righteousness, but by His grace alone; it’s not by works of righteousness, but by His grace alone, and we are complete in Him. Complete! Complete! Complete in Him. We are complete in Him. Complete! Complete! Complete in Him. We are complete in Him.”

You may think that you are unworthy, but God counts you worthy in Christ. The work of our salvation is complete, nothing needs to be added.

Have a blessed day in and through Christ. Stay safe and healthy.

We are complete from the crown our head to the soles of our feet.

Dean